Swiss Jura-based manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is settling into its new Bavarian home as it opens a boutique at Munich’s most prestigious address, on the glamorous Maximilianstrasse 24. The world-renowned shopping street in Germany, which comprises one of Munich’s four royal avenues, counts the likes of Chanel, Hermès, Omega and Ralph Lauren amongst its affluent residents, while the new Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique sits across from the famous Four Seasons Kempinski Hotel.
While the entire street, built at the behest of King Maximilian in 1850, comprises an interesting part of German history, the boutique’s location is part of the particularly important ‘Rimerschmid Block’. The Rimerschmid-Block, an impressive 19th-century building designed by the renowned architect Georg Friedrich Christian Bürklein, is in fact a listed historic monument.
The new Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique spans across two floors. On the first floor, visitors can admire a ring of watches from the brand’s current portfolio in the centre of the room. Furthermore, the boutique is home to a dedicated display for the famous Reverso watch model, with several limited editions and high-complication models on show – alongside the possibility to personalise the caseback with an engraving.
Several installations encircle the walls of the boutique, from a lavish array of leather straps laid out for clients to peruse at leisure, to an interactive calibre wall that relays the many innovations of JLC – after all, this is a manufacture that has created over 1,400 movements since its foundation in 1833. The ground floor also plays host to a ‘Cabinet de Curiosités’ that tells the story of JLC’s watchmaking expertise, while a ‘Manufacture Wall’ pays homage to the horology house’s many craftsmen. Indeed, the manufacture’s craftsmen represent no less than 180 different watchmaking skills, all of which are gathered under the same roof.
Furthermore, the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique will be home to various art installations as a part of its ‘Made of Makers’ programme. Currently, the boutique plays host to a creation by Brendi Wedinger, a Los Angeles-based artist recognised for her work in 3D digital arts, sculpture and floristry. Her work at the boutique, which cascades down the wall on the left of space, takes its inspiration from the Flora of the Vallée de Joux.
Speaking of flowers, nature is an overriding theme at the Vallée de Joux manufacture – no wonder, then, that the Munich boutique takes this into account in terms of interior design. As well as carefully paying attention to the balanced, contemporary lighting, the designers primarily opt for natural materials, not least the wooden counters and airy aesthetic of the space in general.
Last but not least, the first floor is home to a bar where clients can stop for a glass of champagne or a cappuccino, providing a place in which to celebrate or ponder upon a potential purchase. The first floor also features an intimate VIP lounge, where Jaeger-LeCoultre’s professionals may offer clients exclusive insights into the brand, as well as allowing them to indulge in personalised treatment and in-depth viewing of the numerous watches available at the new Munich boutique at Maximillianstrasse 24.
